Tesla Motors' new electric car, the Model X SUV, has room for 7 adults with front-facing third row seats -and falcon wing doors. Sweet!

CNNMoney
Tesla unveils its Model X SUV with 'falcon wings'
By Peter Valdes-Dapena @PeterDrives 
February 10, 2012: 8:41 AM ET, http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/07/autos/tesla_model_x_crossover/index.htm


-----
See another video of the launch at:
http://www.latimes.com/videogallery/67993418/Technology/Tech-Report--Tesla-Model-X


Los Angeles Times

Tesla announces Model X SUV for 2014, starts taking deposits
The electric SUV will share a platform, components and technology with Tesla's electric Model S sedan, which is slated to go into production this year.
By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times
February 10, 2012, 9:59 p.m.

Tesla Motors Inc. has yet to deliver the much-touted Model S — the electric sedan it is making at its auto factory in Fremont, Calif. — but that didn't stop the automaker from taking reservations for a sport utility vehicle it doesn't expect to begin selling until 2014. 

Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autos-tesla-suv-20120211,0,4608265.story


I last wrote about Tesla Motors' electric cars back on November 19, 2009 in a post about the introduction of their Roadster, titled, Get me a Tesla Roadster, stat! The sexy electric car that turns heads
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/get-me-tesla-roadster-stat-sexy.html

Hallandale Beach residents are eager to speak at Tuesday night's Resident Forum re Mayor Cooper's myopic State of the City speech, and the troubling role of the cliquish, pro-Cooper HB Chamber of Commerce that taxpayers are forced to subsidize

Above, looking west from Hallandale Beach City Hall towards the Hallandale Beach Cultural Community Center, i.e. "the Cultural Center," right before I went inside and voted in the 2012 Florida GOP primary. January 31, 2012 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Hallandale Beach residents are eager to speak at Tuesday night's Resident Forum re Mayor Cooper's myopic State of the City speech, and the troubling role of the cliquish, pro-Cooper HB Chamber of Commerce that taxpayers are forced to subsidize

Just over a week ago, I and many other concerned residents and business owners in the greater Hallandale Beach area received an email from my friend and Hallandale Beach City Commissioner, Keith London, reminding us of his upcoming Resident Forum meeting on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. in the HB Cultural Center.


Comm. London also reminded us as well of his longstanding opposition to the taxpayers of this small community being forced to fund the Hallandale Beach Chamber of Commerce.


That's the group that I and many other concerned and well-informed residents here believe is a particularly standoff-ish and cliquish retinue of ardently pro-development, pro-Joy Cooper, pro-HB City Hall partisans who operate in what can charitably be called a moral 'vacuum,' though it may more accurately be called an 'alternative universe.'


In fact, it's in large part because the HB CoC operates in ways that are DIFFERENT than how most city CoCs in the United States manage and comport themselves, as well as how they are funded -and the particular civic activities the HB CoC consciously choose NOT to perform, roles performed by many if not most CoCs in this country- that best explains why so many people in this area DON'T want to join them.


Well-meaning HB citizens and business owners who truly see things as they are, and NOT how the mayor and city hall pretends they are, folks who simply want city govt. costs contained and not continue to balloon, DON'T wish to be tainted by any association with myopic believers in crony capitalism at its worst.


I say that because some of the people who lead the group here, like realtor Joe Kessel, are well-known for not only their parochial and self-serving nature, but equally known for their willingness to try to take advantage of their position within the community to become part of ownership groups that seek HB CRA loans for ill-conceived ideas that local banks won't touch -and for good reason. 
Again, exactly what Joe Kessel did.


And Kessel did this WHILE already receiving money from the city as a top secret 'consultant' -what I called 'spying'- in a stealthy arrangement that the HB City Commission and the public was intentionally kept in the dark about, but which Mayor Joy Cooper knew all about.
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2010/04/hallandale_mayor_cooper_kessel_contract.php
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/related/to/Joe+Kessel/


No, the HB CoC doesn't act like the CoC group in next-door Hollywood does, nor like most CoCs in the country that are largely self-sustaining thru not only the membership dues they collect, but also thru activities they conduct throughout the year, whether fairs, festivals and other special events for which there's a small charge for the public to attend, or for businesses to participate, as well as general sponsorship arrangements.


Unfortunately for taxpayers, because most of the concerned people paying close attention to what happens in Hallandale Beach already recognize these self-evident facts, the Hallandale Beach Chamber of Commerce, like the city's faux newspaper, the South Florida Sun Times, both currently exist as little more than one-party propaganda organs for HB mayor Joy Cooper and her Rubber Stamp Crew, and poorly-functioning PR organs at that.


In the very near future, I'll be posting something else here about the strange role of the HB CoC, and its new president, Carole Pumpian, a woman who has consistently worked AGAINST the long-term best-interests of Hallandale Beach residents 
And for the record, Pumpian doesn't live in Hallandale Beach, either.

I've excerpted Comm. London's email below to give you the pertinent info, but first read
this:
http://www.local10.com/news/blogs/bob-norman/Mayor-No-charge-for-speech/-/3223354/8578562/-/a3y74x/-/index.html


-----

From: Keith London 

To: klondon@hallandalebeachfl.gov 

Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 8:16 AM

Subject: Your Tax Dollars ($20) at Work Mayor Joy Cooper State of the City Address - Reported by Local 10.com

http://www.local10.com/news/blogs/bob-norman/Mayor-charges-residents-20-for-speech/-/3223354/8563986/-/1utfiiz/-/index.html

Everyone,

...Let’s remember this is the same Chamber of Commerce that receives $40,000 - $50,000 every year of your tax dollars from the City of Hallandale Beach in addition to free rent and utilities.

In lieu of paying $20 for information that should be relayed to the residents for free, please attend my FREE “Resident Forum” held the second or third Tuesday of every month at the City of Hallandale Beach Cultural Center .  Free refreshments are offered. 

The items of discussion pertain to current pending issues or anything a resident may want to discuss.  I include significant information and documents to elaborate the points and I always listen to what the residents and taxpayers are saying about the state of Hallandale Beach .

I hope to see you and friend at the next meeting on February 14, 2012 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM to discuss “OUR” city.

Regards,

Keith

Keith S. London

City Commissioner, Hallandale Beach

954-457-1320 Office

954-494-3182 Cellular

www.KeithLondon.com

http://www.facebook.com/KeithSLondon

From: BFoglia

Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 07:55 PM

To: joycooper@aol.com

Subject: RE: Mayor Joy Cooper State of the City Address 

Is this a joke? We have to PAY to listen to your Annual State of the City Address? Shouldn't that speech be given in a public forum? This speech is for ALL the people in your community - The City - , not an elite 'lunch crowd' between 12 & 2. This notice has to be a hoax on Hallandale residents.

Barbara Foglia,
a resident.

A timely FYI from my friend, Charlotte Greenbarg re Florida SB 1808: "Don't let seven-year old Gabriel Meyers' death be in vain!"

A timely FYI from my friend, Charlotte Greenbarg re Florida SB 1808: "Don't let seven-year old Gabriel Meyers' death be in vain!"

In case you forgot about the absolutely heart-breaking story about seven-year old Gabriel Meyers, just take a peek at this article, video and blog post and it should all come back to you in all its sordid misery and bureaucratic red-tape, http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/initiatives/GMWorkgroup/index.shtml, or see this video from 2009 featuring Florida State Sen. Ronda Storms, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuqRNRCX8Zc


SB 1808: Provision of Psychotropic Medication to Children in Out-of-home Placements
http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2012/1808


Having heard two separate accounts -in-between sobs- from two separate Broward
parents on Thursday night in Hollywood, at Broward Supt. Robert Runcie's last
"Listening Tour" meeting, about their young kids talking about committing suicide because of bullying at school, and the Broward School system's continued inability to handle things -one of the bullies made new threats last week AFTER returning from being suspended!- this tragic case of child suicide in Margate in 2009 reminds us that helping children and protecting them from the practice of over-medicating powerful drugs to numb them, is exactly the sort of black-and-white issue that people in Tallahassee need to finally face-the-music on, before they show their faces around here after the legislative session is over.


Palm Beach Post political reporter Dara Kam wrote the following post Thursday night at their Post on Politics blog about the future of :



House won’t make it harder for state to put foster kids on psych drugs
by Dara Kam | February 9th, 2012

Sen. Ronda Storms’ bill that would make it harder for doctors to put foster kids on mind-altering drugs passed another milestone in the Senate today, but its future is bleak.

http://www.postonpolitics.com/2012/02/house-wont-make-it-harder-for-state-to-put-foster-kids-on-psych-drugs/


And here's the email I found in my inbox when I got home from Hollywood:

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Charlotte Greenbarg

Date: Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 7:41 PM

Subject: Don't let Gabriel Meyers' death be in vain!

To: Charlotte Greenbarg

Cc: storms.ronda.web@flsenate.gov

There is an important vote in the House of Representatives and I urge you not to forget GABRIEL MEYERS, A 7 YEAR OLD FOSTER CHILD WHO HUNG HIMSELF while under the influence of pych drugs not approved by FDA --and prescribed by a Broward doctor who still believes there was nothing wrong with multiple adults drugs prescribed to a 7 year old.

Senator Ronda Storms has done an outstanding job in bringing the issue of psych drugs and foster care children to everyone's attention in Tallahassee, but her pleas may be ignored without your call or email. This child died in Broward County---- and it is our obligation not to allow his death to be ignored .....until the next child dies. 

Please contact your representatives; if you don't know who they are, follow this link : http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/representatives.aspx

www.myfloridahouse.gov

No-Spin Zone awaits Broward County Schools Supt. Robert Runcie at Hollywood Hills H.S. Thursday night at 6:30 pm

Broward County Schools Supt. Robert Runcie's so-called "Listening Tour" finally comes to southeast Broward on Tuesday night, his only appearance in the area, at Hollywood Hills High School at 6:30 p.m., 5400 Stirling Road, Hollywood.


As I see it, his mission Tuesday night, besides whatever actual listening he does, will be to try to explain to those in attendance just how he's going to demolish what I've long called here on the blog 'the Broward County Schools' dysfunction junction.'


That's an amorphous universe of light and shadows where the normal laws of logic and reason, not to mention, gravity and morality, that apply to the rest of us, are laughed at with seeming contempt. 
Their response to the public's queries and complaints in the past has always been some variation of, "well, we have our own rules, and you wouldn't understand them."


Which explains, in part, why expensive school buildings have been built that weren't actually needed, land has been purchased that didn't have an actual future purpose and... well, you get the idea.
To say nothing of the ethical scandals, some of which are still not fully known to the general public.

All of that dysfunction and incompetency combined explains why the School system has riled and enraged concerned taxpayers, parents & pols in this part of Broward for years. 

Given everything that's happened in the past year within the School system, and in this part of the county in particular, I feel pretty confident in saying that Tuesday night will be a No-Spin Zone for Runcie and any Schools administrators or elected officials who even try to mis-represent the truth (and the facts) that everyone attending already knows.

Attempts at historical revisionism should be met with boos and hoots from the audience.  

In fact, given everything that HAS happened in the past year, with lots of legitimate questions NEVER properly answered to taxpayer and parent's satisfaction, if everyone from SE Broward who should actually show-up for this event actually does, I expect that it will be quite a combative night.

And rightly so.

See ya there!



View Larger Map

Nine months from tonight, the Rubber Stamp Crew at Hallandale Beach City Hall can be kicked-to-the-curb for good

November 13, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier

Nine months from tonight, the Rubber Stamp Crew at Hallandale Beach City Hall can be kicked-to-the-curb for good

Concepts like common sense, logic, reason, transparency, Sunshine in Government and living-within-your-means could finally make their long-overdue appearance at 400 S. Federal Highway.


Not to mention, new City Commissioners dedicated to providing genuine oversight of the new City Manager and city employees, and a willingness to work hard and become familiar with pertinent information BEFORE City Commission meetings, instead of continuing the current practice where the majority merely go-thru-the-motions and forever defer to un-elected staffers who may not represent the long-term best interests of the city's citizen taxpayers and business owners.


We could finally see some intelligent public policy that encourages genuine community involvement throughout the ENTIRE CITY, and NOT exclusion and stealthiness at public meetings, which leads to important decisions being made at 2:43 a.m., as happened with the vote on the Diplomat LAC in 2010.

We could finally have a city hall where a work-ethic exists among city employees that rewards those who consistently show initiative, get the community involved, create cost efficiencies and increased productivity or tangible results, and proactively cuts red-tape and spots problems ahead of time, instead of merely waiting for them to happen and then pretending you don't know anything about it.


Conversely, that new work-ethic at city hall will make clear that it will punish or replace those who cling to the outmoded and musty status quo policies that have existed here for years, a mindset which has cost this city's taxpayers so very much money with so little tangible good to show for it the past ten years -a city budget that has nearly doubled the past five years.


But this change in both attitude and direction won't be accomplished easily, or just thru collective good intentions and a few clever campaign slogans.


It'll require some hard work and diligence by those who are genuinely committed to bringing meaningful policy reform and financial accountability to this city with so much unrealized potential, so that the citizens of this community can FINALLY leave the embarrassing bad old-days in the rear-view mirror.
So, what are you prepared to do the next few months to make that a reality?

In case you're interested, if all goes as expected, I'll be posting some Alternative State of the City comments on my blog in a few days, which is to say, an alternative to Mayor Joy Cooper's likely myopic and unrealistic snapshot.

http://www.local10.com/news/blogs/bob-norman/Mayor-charges-residents-20-for-speech/-/3223354/8563986/-/1utfiiz/-/index.html

http://www.local10.com/news/blogs/bob-norman/Mayor-No-charge-for-speech/-/3223354/8578562/-/a3y74x/-/index.html

If any of you you have something you'd like to contribute, either using your own name or, well, as "Anonymous," send it to me by 8 p.m. Thursday night.

-----

http://www.hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/HallandaleBeachBlog 

Change Hallandale Beach- 

A fact-based website run by my friend and fellow Hallandale Beach civic activist, Michael Butler, which goes directly after the longtime incompetency and crony capitalism at Hallandale Beach City Hall with cold-hard logic, quantifiable figures, graphs, charts and videos. The kind of evidence that they CAN'T refute with any of their serial lies, half-truths, mis-statements of fact, or exaggerations from the dais.
See the evidence for yourself and see what's REALLY going on in Hallandale Beach from Michael's informed perspective at http://www.changehallandale.com

Coming this Fall: A 24/7 News Channel from Univision & ABC News -in English! Marriage of news & advertising convenience, necessity or desperation? And will it be hard news or soft?; Brazil abtains

Wall Street Journal: Disney's ABC, Univision May Launch News-Channel. February 7, 2012. 
http://youtu.be/pfOnlXlV8lA

Coming this Fall: A 24/7 News Channel from Univision & ABC News -in English! Marriage of news & advertising convenience, necessity or desperation? And will it be hard news or soft?; Brazil abstains

Naturally, as has been described here on the blog many times previously, given the rapturous and over-the-top way the Miami Herald has traditionally chosen to greet almost any quasi-news story that involved either Spanish-language marketing, advertising or television, always emphasizing the froth with lots of positive quotes from the people who stand to profit the most, in what is, essentially, a consumer transaction that involves selling soap to someone, possibly with a tilde, but never really looking hard at whether or not what is being offered is actually quality or not, I can hardly wait for the coming Herald article on this new way of trying to sell more advertising. 


I hereby predict that the Herald reporter, whomever it is, will say that that this move may well be "Revolutionary."
Or genius. Or overdue.
Or a guaranteed hit even before it hits the air.


We all know how the Herald gets when they have a brand-new shiny toy to talk about that has something to do with Latin America and marketing, witness their recent spate of pro-Brazil articles and editorials the past year.


Who can count the number of pieces they've done on the theme of visiting Brazilians make-the-world-go-around in Miami, which, given where we are and the current sad state of serious news coverage in local Miami TV stations, quite naturally copied the theme like nobody's business.


But when President Obama was leaving for Brazil last year, despite all the news coverage nationally in print and on TV about what the U.S. and the West wanted to do at the U.N. with regard to sanctions or counter-moves to the killings and repression in Syria, the Miami Herald NEVER wrote a single thing in the newspaper or online about Brazil abstaining from voting on the matter, did they?
Nope, and I was looking, too.


I checked not only the online archives but scrupulously checked the newspaper -everyday.
Before, during and after his trip.


The Herald said nothing even while writing about how important Brazil was asserting itself... blah, blah.
But when push came to shove, Brazil ducked.
That's many things, but what it's NOT is leadership.
Or positive.


For a country like Brazil that's forever talking so much about wanting to be taken seriously on the international scene, it hardly gets more transparent about what you really want to do than abstaining from an important vote at the U.N, does it?
Of perhaps having to vote against China and Russia.
So they did nothing.

Today's New York Times tells the tale of what that indifference has wrought months later:

In Turkey, once a strong supporter of Mr. Assad and now one of his most vocal critics, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Parliament that the veto of the United Nations resolution on Syria by Russia and China had given Mr. Assad a “license to kill,” 

The only thing missing in this and so many other news articles the past about all the people who have been maimed or killed is a note that reads "Thanks Brazil" from President Assad.


And lest you forget, last year, on March 21st, I wrote about Brazil abstaining on a vote on sanctions against Libya.
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/rejecting-pixie-lotts-boys-and-girls.html


So why the South Florida news media refusal to report the facts about the Brazil abstentions on Libya and Syria, and their logical consequences?
Good question.


But not for me, for the Herald and the rest of the South Florida news media that far too often seems content to lets its own advertising bottom line dictate what actually gets covered or mentioned on-air on in print.


No, unfortunately, as I've said here before many times, the South Florida news media, and the Herald in particular, simply can't say enough good things about Latin America, whether its countries, its consumers or its markets, when there's money to be made, but rather curiously, they and their reporters only seem to seek out people for the article who will say good things.
Or who will directly or indirectly profit from it.


Where's the objective balance to the stories?
Where's the follow-up and perspective?


No, THAT won't come until months later.
Then, they may run an AP story that they post online, but which you never see in the newspaper itself.


Sort of like the one they used here to share the news:
Univision, Disney look at English news channel
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/06/2628257/univision-disney-look-at-english.html


No doubt we'll see that over-the-top story in the Herald soon, and I can already guess whom they will interview from their small list of Usual Suspects to say how great this is for everyone.
No, not really, mostly just some of the advertising folks who want to sell air time for Barack Obama political commercials.
-----


See more news video from The Wall Street Journal LIVE's News Hub at:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL40ABBAC77E4BF616&feature=plcp


Wall Street Journal YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/WSJDigitalNetwork

Yeardley Love in our thoughts: UVA & Charlottesville, extended UVA family & U.S. Lacrosse community are bracing themselves for the graphic details/photos that'll emerge in George Huguely V's murder trial starting Monday

WMAR-TV/Baltimore video: Reporter Sherrie Johnson reports on the case and its lasting effect on the UVA campus. February 3, 2012.  

http://youtu.be/6YoMTbaJtQI

Yeardley Love in our thoughts: UVA & Charlottesville, the extended UVA family & the U.S. lacrosse community are bracing themselves for the graphic details and 15 photos that both sides agree will come quickly in George Huguely V's first-degree murder trial that starts Monday, with jury selection and voir dire, in what is expected to be a two-week trial. 

Huguely's defense team have already made clear that they are uneasy with some of Judge Edward Hogshire's announced plans for group voir dire to get down to the final members of the jury, whose actual size with alternates is expected to be twelve plus three.

As most of you who come to this blog regularly know -but so those of you who don't will know- there are more than just a few things that color my own thoughts on both the sport and this story in particular, so here's what you need to know.

I lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. area for 15 years and knew lots of people who were very proud UVA alums, including some past housemates.

The Charlottesvile area is one of my favorite places in all of the country, a place that's (almost) as nice as the beautiful, friendly and diverse sensibility and high Quality of Life that I came to know and appreciate in Bloomington while I was at Indiana University, IU. 

While I lived up in Arlington County, less than two-and-a-half hours northeast of Charlottesville, especially those last few years there, I used to frequently go down there with friends on weekend drives to see what was doing, often swinging by one of the many historical places there, as well as some of the more popular restaurants and haunts near campus.

(I never made it down for the well-known Virginia Film Festival, though I always wanted to.)

Especially on Fall weekends when the Hurricanes or Dolphins weren't going to be playing in a game that would be televised in the D.C. area, or playing an important game that, well, I just had to catch at a sports bar with a reliable satellite dish and the NFL Ticket, those drives down Route 29 and Skyline Drive were really enjoyable and fun, not to mention, relaxing.

For me, the Blue Ridge Mountains were always a real tonic for Washington's frantic and often exasperating hustle.

http://www.visitcharlottesville.org/

I'm a big lacrosse fan and watch or record nearly ever D1 Mens or Womens match that's televised on either ESPNU, TheBigTenNetwork or CBS College Sports, which means I've seen almost every televised match that Kelly Amonte-Hiller's Northwestern's Women's team have played on The BigTenNetwork the past three years when they won the NCAA title twice.

I also have a friend who used to play lacrosse for Duke and who told me what things were like in those years before the media witch-hunt of a few years ago, that badly tarnished the reputations of people who hadn't done anything, but who were convicted by the news media, anyway.

Not surprisingly, given all that, I've necessarily watched a ton of UVA matches on TV both before and since I returned to South Florida from Washington eight years ago, both the Mens and Womens' teams.
That includes not only the ACC tourney matches, but all the NCAA tourney games that were aired, as well as some streamed live at NCAA.org

I say that because over time, I've obviously become familiar with the names of both the standout players as well as the 'spark plugs' on those teams that kept them energized and operating at a high level, and I've rooted for them for years.
I was happy for coach Dom Starsia that his UVA squad finally won the NCAA title again last year, given everything that has happened.

I've also written several posts about college lacrosse here on this blog, including some about Yeardley Love's tragic murder just days after UVA played Northwestern up in Evanston -where I also used to live- a match that I watched on The BigTenNetwork, but which they chose not to repeat as originally scheduled in the days  after she was murdered.

If lacrosse had existed as a varsity high school sport in Dade County when I was a student at North Miami Beach Senior High in the mid-to-late '70's, I'd have definitely played, but it wasn't, and IU didn't field a varsity team, either.

Once I was living in the Washington area, I saw some of the NCAA title matches in College Park, where the University of Maryland is located, a school I'd applied to like two other NMB students who later went to IU the same year I did.

I also have a very smart, athletic and talented niece from suburban Maryland, who went to a high school that's one of the top Lacrosse schools in the country, having recently won the Boys and Girls state championships.
And now she's a sophomore at UVA, and she just loves it there.

As much as I and my sister -her mother- loved IU and Bloomington in the 1980's, which is really saying something.

So those are some of my biases and also some of the reasons that I have been following this story very closely. I knew the sport and had heard of the principals before the tragedy.

WTVR-TV 6/Richmond video: Tracy Sears explains the back-story   

http://wtvr.com/videogallery/67879008/Home/huguely-trial-and-team-coverage#pl-62784503

Previous Channel 6 stories and information on the tragedy that stunned two communities

http://www.wtvr.com/news/uvatrial/

As many of you may well recall from what I've written here previously about this tragic and heart-breaking story, or what you might've gleaned from the national news coverage of this 21-month old story, the shock was particularly devastating in the Baltimore area, which is why I lead this post with a local TV segment from there.

Devastating not only because the greater Baltimore area is home to the largest concentration of high school and college lacrosse players and fans anywhere in the country, the home of the U.S. Lacrosse, home of the annual NCAA D1 college tourney at M&T Stadium -home of the Ravens- that draws huge and enthusiastic crowds, and even larger ones when it hosts the NCAA D1 Final Four, but more importantly, because it's where most of the people who loved and adored Yeardley Love lived.

Love grew-up in suburban Cockeysville, north of town, and attended Notre Dame Prep -aka NDP- in nearby Towson, a city that has recently hosted the NCAA DI Womens Final Four a number of times at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

NDP has been raising funds for their new artificial turf field that will be named Yeardley Love Memorial Field in her honor, and the good news is that many individuals in the greater Baltimore business community and the larger lacrosse community have stepped-up big time to make that a reality.

It's their lasting tribute to someone who not only passionately loved the sport, but who loved being a member of the UVA lacrosse team, a team she'd ALWAYS wanted to play for.

Here's two more stories from Baltimore on a fundraising effort of a different sort honoring the NDP alumna:

WBFF Fox 45 News video: http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_11957.shtml

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-yeardley-love-field-20111215,0,4269036.story

The Baltimore Sun

Murder trial of UVA lacrosse player set to begin

George Huguely V accused of beating former girlfriend Yeardley Love to death

Tricia Bishop, The Baltimore Sun, 

4:57 p.m. EST, February 5, 2012

Nearly two years after Cockeysville native Yeardley Love was found dead, bruised and lying in a pool of blood in an off-campus apartment near the University of Virginia, her former boyfriend and fellow lacrosse player is scheduled to stand trial for her murder.

Read the rest of the post at:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-md-huguely-20120125,0,5753118.story

The Washington Post

George Huguely’s trial in Yeardley Love’s death starts Monday with jury selection

By Mary Pat Flaherty and Jenna Johnson

Published: February 5

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/george-huguelys-trial-in-yeardley-loves-death-begins-monday-with-jury-selection/2012/02/02/gIQAsnAHsQ_story

Culpeper Star Exponent

Huguely jury selection process further discussed

By Samantha Koon - Media General News Service

Published: January 30, 2012

http://www2.starexponent.com/news/2012/jan/30/huguely-jury-selection-process-further-discussed-ar-1649491/

WSET-TV, ABC-13 Lynchburg/Danville/Roanoke VA video: Jury Selection Begins Monday for Huguely Case

Reporter: Sally Delta, Posted: Feb 05, 2012 6:10 PM EST

http://www.wset.com/story/16681280/jury-selection-begins-monday-for-huguely-case

WBAL-TV/Baltimore video: UVA Prepares Campus Community For Huguely Trial

Reporter Lowell Melser details what to expect this week at the biggest trial in Charlottesville  history.  http://youtu.be/TMG2ScUy-1s

The Daily Progress

With George Huguely, Charlottesville awaits its biggest trial in years

By: SAMANTHA KOON | The Daily Progress 

Published: February 04, 2012

...As a result, students must now report any changes in their criminal history each fall. Moreover, students must inform the university of any new arrests or convictions within 72 hours, or else face possible honor charges. Student-athletes must report arrests or convictions within 48 hours, Groves said...

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2012/feb/04/george-huguely-charlottesville-awaits-its-biggest--ar-1664849/

The Washington Post

As ex-lacrosse player’s trial begins, spotlight on U.Va., changes made since student’s slaying

By Associated Press, Published: February 4

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — In the nearly two years since a University of Virginia lacrosse player was charged with killing his ex-girlfriend, it’s become easier for possible abuse victims to get a restraining order and students must tell the school if they’ve ever been arrested

Read the rest of the article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/as-ex-lacrosse-players-trial-begins-spotlight-on-uva-changes-made-since-students-slaying/2012/02/04/gIQAr1WlpQ_story.html

The Washington Post

George Huguely’s murder trial begins; 2010 killing rocked U-Va. community

Photo gallery:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/george-huguelys-murder-trial-begins-2010-killing-rocked-u-va-community/2010/05/04/gIQAdHxsmQ_gallery.html?tid=pm_local_gal#photo=1

The Cavaliar Daily

The trial begins

Huguely trial commences today with jury selection; community reflects

BY MIKE LANG, FOCUS EDITOR on February 6, 2012

http://www.cavalierdaily.com/2012/02/06/the-trial-begins/

One Love Foundation: http://www.joinonelove.org/

U.S. Lacrosse:    www.uslacrosse.org

It only SEEMS like forever! 38 very long & wistful years since Super Bowl success for Dolphins. What's next for beleaguered Dolfans?

Vince Lombardi Championship Trophies from Dolphin victories in Super Bowl VII and VIII.

April 2007 photo by Mario J. Bermudez taken at Miami Dolphins Headquarters, Davie, Florida.

Sports Illustrated January 21, 1974

Zonk! Miami Massacres Minnesota

Larry Csonka

It's why you play the game.

For more on this longstanding wistfulness, see my Super Bowl blog post from last year, February 6, 2011,
"Lombardi. A certain magic still lingers in the very name. It speaks of duels in the snow and cold November mud..."; Packers will win by at least 8!

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/lombardi-certain-magic-still-lingers-in.html

Giving credit where credit is due: diabolical genius! Deadspin asks, "What Time Does The Super Bowl Start, He Wrote As A Headline To Game The Google Results"

NY Giants defensive players have to resort to faking injuries in order to keep St. Louis Rams no-huddle offense from steamrolling them. Sept. 20, 2011. http://youtu.be/eY26rgd4aps

It's not officially a Super Bowl until Alyssa Milano comes to Indy. 
NOW it's on!


Above, Alyssa wearing her signature Touch by Alyssa Milano New England Patriots Sweater Mix Jacket, the sort of thing you may've seen at the NFL Experience if you were in Indy while she was there schmoozing with fans and doing some promotional work for her popular line of NFL-themed women's clothing.
(I went to the one in D.C. held on the National Mall when the NFL started doing that to start off the season and held it in the NFL city hosting the first Monday Night Football game; if I remember correctly, they later had a mini-concert there by Journey, which I missed, since I rushed home to watch the game on TV.) 
But while I have chosen to show Alyssa wearing Patriots gear above because I'm picking them to beat the Giants by at least ten points tonight, as you can see from the photos of her at her always amusing posterous photo blog, which as I've mentioned here previously, I've subscribed to for a while now, she's actually pulling for the NY Football Giants. 
http://alyssamilano.posterous.com/date-night-in-indy


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Giving credit where credit is due: diabolical genius! 
Deadspin: "What Time Does The Super Bowl Start, He Wrote As A Headline To Game The Google Results"

The post was sinister and dumb and ruthless and brilliant, and a good indicator of why the HuffPo's traffic numbers are so insane.

http://deadspin.com/5881720/what-time-does-the-super-bowl-start-he-wrote-as-a-headline-to-game-the-google-results


http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46/what-time-is-the-superbowl

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46

Or, if you are not near any of the tens of millions of Americans TVs that have the game on,  watch it online at: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46/live/sunday

Beet TV video:  NFL, NBC Sports and Verizon Wireless Ready the First Mobile Super Bowl
By Andy Plesser
February 3, 2012
http://www.beet.tv/2012/02/superbowl.html  



Rasmussen Reports
Super Bowl Viewers Don’t Think Madonna’s Good Choice For Halftime Show
February 3, 2012 http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/sports/january_2012/super_bowl_viewers_don_t_think_madonna_s_good_choice_for_halftime_show

Yes, 57% of likely Super Bowl viewers say no to Madonna as halftime entertainment, and I'm with them. For about the 20th year in a row I won't watch the halftime, but instead mute the TV and listen to what they're saying on the radio broadcast, in case someone stumbles accidentally into telling the the truth.


By the way, the 57% opposed to Madonna is a higher percentage of American than have voted for any winning presidential candidate since November of 1984.
(President Reagan was re-elected with 58.8% of the vote to former Vice President Walter Mondale's 40.6%.)


Two months after that election was the last Super Bowl the Dolphins played in, a 38-16 loss to the 49ers.
To give you some perspective, no woman now or recently appearing in Playboy was alive when the Dolphins last played in the Super Bowl. 
Just saying... epic mediocrity spans decades.


Here's some more perspective on those 27 years:

1985: The last time the Dolphins made it to the Super Bowl.

Story: Jake Cline, Sun Sentinel, Photo gallery: Melina I. De Rose, Sun Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/pictures/sfl-super-bowl-1985-lifestyle,0,1759537.photogallery

Below, an excellent historical analysis of Super Sunday from John Maxham, an advertising executive at Seattle's Cole & Weber United.
He "gets it."

Apart from being an effective and fun marketing gimmick, the use of Roman numerals in the Super Bowl may offer a deeper insight into our national psyche

mediabistro's AgencySpy blog
Op-Ed: ‘Svper Bowl Svnday’ – Our Invented Ancient Tradition
By Kiran Aditham on February 3, 2012 11:03 AM
http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/op-ed-svper-bowl-svnday-our-invented-ancient-tradition_b29030


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Two last things: If Tom Coughlan and Eli Manning were with the Seattle Seahawks, and had the same back story and stats, and were now in the Super Bowl, nobody-but-nobody would be talking the nonsense I've heard so much of this past week, on ESPN and elsewhere, about how IF they win against the Patriots, they're locks to get into Canton.
Who decided that?


It's because they're with the New York Giants. 
Period.


Again, I like the Patriots by at least ten points.